Door Roller Contact Reliability

[Desert_AIP]

Looking for advice on door contacts.
I searched and looked through several threads, but I don't see anything speaking to the reliability of particular switches.
I'm not sure if it is the contact I am using, the way I installed them, or some other factor, but I have had 3 failures in 6 months.

I installed the GE 3008W roller contacts on the hinge side (with EOL) of all my exterior doors.
I've had two fail closed (i.e. open the door and the contact does not open) and one fail open (i.e. close the door and the zone still reports open).
I double checked the wiring with a meter and the failure is at the switch itself.
These are placed on the hinge side jambs just below the bottom hinge, about 3-4" off the ground and sealed with silicone.
I've tried with and without the spacer. Doesn't seem to make much difference when the switch works and no difference when it fails.

I don't see any dirt, paint, ice, etc. in the roller or cavity. The spring action of the roller still works.

So I suspect the GE switches are just not reliable.
All my other contacts are GRI. I was looking at the GRI DS and RB series. The DS spec sheet has a note:
"Important Note: GRI’s improved DS and RB Series of products are not recommended for the bottom or side track of
windows and doors."
So now I am not sure whether they are suitable or not. I can understand why I wouldn't want them on the bottom, but the side comment confuses me.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[Sandpiper]

Looking for advice on door contacts.
I searched and looked through several threads, but I don't see anything speaking to the reliability of particular switches.
I'm not sure if it is the contact I am using, the way I installed them, or some other factor, but I have had 3 failures in 6 months.

I installed the GE 3008W roller contacts on the hinge side (with EOL) of all my exterior doors.
I've had two fail closed (i.e. open the door and the contact does not open) and one fail open (i.e. close the door and the zone still reports open).
I double checked the wiring with a meter and the failure is at the switch itself.
These are placed on the hinge side jambs just below the bottom hinge, about 3-4" off the ground and sealed with silicone.
I've tried with and without the spacer. Doesn't seem to make much difference when the switch works and no difference when it fails.

I don't see any dirt, paint, ice, etc. in the roller or cavity. The spring action of the roller still works.

So I suspect the GE switches are just not reliable.
All my other contacts are GRI. I was looking at the GRI DS and RB series. The DS spec sheet has a note:
"Important Note: GRI’s improved DS and RB Series of products are not recommended for the bottom or side track of
windows and doors."
So now I am not sure whether they are suitable or not. I can understand why I wouldn't want them on the bottom, but the side comment confuses me.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

I never have liked those roller ball switches. I've replaced a slew of them. I'd recommend the GRI PBF-100 push button switch. They will work find on the hinge side of the door.

 

[alarmguy]

For what it's worth. We use the Ademco/Honeywell 956RPT and the GRI RB-01T in the amount of approx 80 to 100 per month and have no complaints. I can say when mounted on top, and the door jam shifts on the less than well constructed homes, we have had to replace a couple contacts. But on the hinge side can not recall any contact failure.

 

[russban]

I have used the GRI roller ball, plunger and push button switches for years and I very rarely have a problem.

 

[Desert_AIP]

So it sounds like the GRI Rollerballs are good to go.
I'll give them a try, thanks!

 

[Sandpiper]

So it sounds like the GRI Rollerballs are good to go.
I'll give them a try, thanks!

Good plan. I realize now my previous answer was not as clear as it should have been. I agree, any GRI switch will be reliable, including the GRI roller ball. I cringe when I see generic rollerballs however, as I've seen them installed on the top of doors and the latch side of doors. Anytime I see that it an automatic replacement with a magnetic switch.

But I still think, for the hinge side, a push button is better than a rollerball. It seems like the roller balls, which have more sliding surface area than a pushbutton does, are more prone to getting stuck. There is more area on a rollerball for there to be trouble- like little chunks of dirt that jam up the works.

Just my 2 cents..........

 

[Desert_AIP]

I'll keep that in mind, I may go for the pushbuttons. I didn't see them at Worthington, but have seen them elsewhere.

I had to go with hinge side because this was an install in a finished two-story house.
I used standard magnetic contacts in the overhead jamb of my exterior garage entry door because I could get above it in the attic.
I couldn't do the same for the other doors and didn't want to remove the trim, so I went hinge side.